breadlymoore

I read Orndorf's review and I have to agree, the film makes very little sense.

Did anyone see it this weekend?

What was the deal with the character who wanted to buy the farm from McDermott? Was he supposed to be an angel or something?

I enjoyed The Eye, but the Pangs in Hollywood was a major letdown.

MovieExchange

I was interested in The Messengers until I found out it was yet another PG-13 Americanized Japanese film. I've yet to see one that's worth a damn.

Personally, I think the PG-13 so-called "horror" film is one of the biggest scams ever. Get a PG-13 rating, thus getting the teen viewers at the theater (since many theaters are getting a little more strict when it comes to letting minors slip in), then release the "unrated" cut on DVD, which is usually 2-5 minutes of extra footage that isn't enough to bump it to the "R" or worse rating the kids think they're getting. "Unrated" doesn't necessarily mean that the ratings board found it too offensive. It could also mean that they didn't submit this particular cut of the film for a rating.

RichC2

The Messengers is NOT an Americanized Japanese film, it's an original title that borrows heavily from both American and Asian influcences, and is directed by the Pang Bros from Hong Kong.

That said, PG-13 horror can work just fine (The Ring is still the creepiest horror movie of the last decade this side of The Descent, and The Descent was scariest when it was being clausterphobic), since gore just isn't scary, swearing? also not scary, sex scenes? usually not scary. I don't find people getting dismembered to be creepy or scary, at this point, it's just silly. Simply put, blood doesn't make something scarier. That said, the big disappointment with this film is apparently the derivative plot. I've never been a big fan of the Pang Bros (The Eye series is overrated, Re-cycle belongs in the trash, Bangkok Dangerous was meh.) but hear they did a fairly reasonable job directing this one, so that bodes well for future american flicks with some potential originality down the line.

...That said, I also heard they had a second unit director reshoot the ending.

And R rated movies are just as guilty of pulling the "Unrated" and "Directors Cut" bullshit.

Troy Stiffler

I like horror movies. I like [most of] the wave of Asian horror movies. Between the American and Asian equivalents, I'd say there's a solid 5 really good ones. Some OK ones. But I just can't take it anymore. The novelty is gone. I just can't find pasty children and overwhelming ambient soundtracks scary anymore.

Can't be suprised. This is the same progression that slasher flicks followed.

matome

Saw it today. Fairly violent for it's rating (particularly a scene involving birds) and better than the average teen PG13 horror crap, but that's about it. Kristen Stewart did a good job with her part, as did McDermott and Corbett. The ending in the basement was ludicrous, but what else can you expect these days.

Perhaps, if you want to believe that he was sent from up above to give the family a chance to get out. I think he was more there for a couple of boo scares and to create some tension between the husband and wife.

MovieExchange

That's a sad statement for the last decade of horror then, since The Ring was one of the most unimaginative and boring movies I've ever seen. I sat there the entire time asking my friends "when does this get scary?" and "when does something that's not boring happen?" Oh boy, the traditional "forward this to your friends" chain letter, but this time you die if you don't forward it. Yawn.

I haven't seen The Descent yet. Should I get a used copy at my store, I'll probably watch it before putting it on the shelf.

My problem with most of these PG-13 "horror" films is that thier "horror" is something jumping out at you. OK, that's a first-time shock value scare. There's no secondary value, and it gets boring after a while. Hell, usually it's so telegraphed that even the first time isn't scary.


YES! That's my problem with a lot of these films, it's pasty children crouching in a corner screaming at you. Treat 'em like you do goth kids... kick them in the head and tell them to get a job.

breadlymoore

So no real purpose. That's what I thought.

What a shitty movie.

BuddyRevell

I saw this movie the other night and thought it was a shit sandwich. Just your typical cheap thrills (loud noises outta nowhere) fill this crap fest. And of course the "are you freaking stupid going into the basement alone after an attack" type shit. Man this movie was just plain bad.

clemente

Ahh, what could of been. So much promise and actual artistry is wasted on the banality of genre conventions - the stingers, the jump scares, etc.

And the story - why does it turn into a family melodrama more suited for the Lifetime Network 1/4 of the way through? The ending actually gives us the least satisying resolution possible.

It sort of sounds like I dislike the movie - which is quite possible, but the Pang Brothers actually gave us something to look forward to if they can get a better (decent?) story next time out.

The tensest/scariest scene in the movie is quite a thing, shot selection and editing give you a hint that the menace is near, but like Kristen Stewart's character you can't see it, you can only feel that its getting closer.

There's also some nice touches, very wide masters, sparse score (at time), and off-center framing that could have been put to great use - in a better movie.

3/5 - more for what could have been, than what actually was.

Charlie Goose

FInally rented it. Some okay chills, but a silly ending.

Let me see if I have it right

mndtrp

Fuck if I know. The movie was not good, and I was barely paying attention throughout. I had a feeling it wasn't going to be very good when I rented it, and that feeling was right.